‘Not sure, there’s a lot I have to organise this end, but if we could communicate by email, I could send you kitchen plans, paint colours and furnishings. Would that be okay with you? Any problems with deliveries or the like, you can always ring Sofie.’
‘Sure. I can send photos, pass anything by you for approval. Don’t see how it could be a problem. Got a pen?’ They exchanged email addresses. ‘I look forward to working with you,’ he said with feeling. Or was he trying to seduce her on the phone over coffee and pie?
‘Um…well, I’ll wait to hear from you. Bye Calum. I can’t wait to get back. I can’t wait to see you, talk to you.’
Visibly shaken, Jennifer dropped the phone on its cradle and, hand over her heart, took a moment to slow down her breathing and bring it back to normal. He’d sleep in, but only with me. Well, she shouldn’t have thought that, because it didn’t help…at all. She paced her tiny living room and focused on what she had to do to make this change happen — and quickly, for herself, Sofie and Claudia, for their future. And Bret too, the little shit. And, with Calum’s help, her restaurant was going be brilliant.
*
Halfway through Europe’s pretty spring, Jennifer was finally able to get away from London. Nerves fluttered in her stomach as the taxi-driver took her from Tumble Creek airport to town. Lining the streets and dotted throughout the rolling hills, poplars, oaks and maples were aflame in autumn colours. Like beacons they stood out in stark relief among the blue-green eucalypts. Neat rows of grapevines were turning yellow and gold. All of it a beautiful sight that made her heart sing. The driver manoeuvred his cab down the lane to her late uncle’s shop and stopped at the double roller door. Jennifer paid him, hopped out and turned her face to the sun.
‘Ah heaven,’ she whispered.
‘Yeah, you poms could use a bit of sun.’ The cabbie chuckled, pulled his cap down and strode to the boot of his cab. He haul her suitcases out and grunting, hefted them to the old pharmacy shop’s back fence, dropping them by the gate. Then he slid back behind the wheel. ‘Be seein’ ya,’ he waved and took off. The taxi disappeared in a little cloud of dust and exhaust fumes.
Jennifer faced the gate that would lead to the beginning of her new life. Excitement and a good dose of: can I pull this off? caused havoc inside her. It’s going to be great, she told herself. It’s going to be great, she repeated, like a mantra, building a positive attitude. Without the need to park a car, Jennifer went straight for the back gate and, using her bum, shoved it open. Head down and arms straining, she hauled her luggage through into the yard, making sure she didn’t go off track and plough into a garden bed, but soon noticed there were no garden beds left to speak of.
She looked up. ‘God almighty!’ A rubbish skip bulging with broken wires, old pipes, horsehair plaster and empty bags sat to one side near the fence. The whole backyard was a trampled mess of broken, unrecognisable scrap littered everywhere. She’d have to get it cleared away before Sofie came to work her magic and create a garden.
Desperate to see how her restaurant plans had turned out, she grunted with the effort and heaved her suitcases all the way to the back door. A wheelbarrow would’ve been handy right now — or better still a muscleman. There was little hope of that. She’d timed her arrival so any tradesmen would have left for the day. She had mixed feelings about Calum: she wanted him to be there, yet she also wanted time to prepare herself for when they saw each other again.
She dragged her suitcases to the bottom of the stairs leading up to the living quarters. The interior was spotless, no grit, dirt or dust anywhere. No wires or pipes. The smell of fresh paint and fabrics made her smile.
She felt ecstatic to be able to call this amazing place hers, Sofie’s and Claudia’s.
There was no sign of any workers…no Calum, so she unleashed her happiness and let it explode.
Arms in the air, Jennifer did a happy dance and spun around, calling out, ‘Yesss!’
Chapter 13
She’s here, mate. She’s here.
Calum gripped the railing at the top of the stairs; if he didn’t, he’d race down, fling his arms around her, wrap her up tightly and hang on…for a long, long time.
From the moment Jennifer left, Calum had planned to fly to London. It took forever to arrange his passport, but the moment it arrive by registered mail, he’d bought tickets to London. Two days later, she’d called and he was the happiest man in the country. He’d worked like a maniac, sometimes long into the night, to get the restaurant finished. He wanted it as close to perfect as possible when Jennifer arrived so she’d have no excuse to run.
‘G’day, Twinkles,’ Calum murmured from the top of the stairs. He couldn’t have stopped the grin if he’d tried.
Jennifer screamed and swung around. She stood in a pool of late afternoon sunlight that flooded through from an upstairs window.
Man, she looked amazing. His body ached to hold her in his arms, smell her skin and bury his face in her insane hair. The things she did to him without even trying had to be illegal.
‘Shit!’ Looking up at him, she slapped a hand over her heart. ‘You scared me.’
‘Wouldn’t have mattered what I’d done, I would’ve scared you.’ He paused, holding his breath. He had to relish this moment, had to let it sink in.
‘Hi,’ Jennifer said. ‘I almost didn’t recognise you without your overalls and covered in plaster dust. You scrub up well.’
Was she panting? He hadn’t scared her that much. Nah, she was panting for him, or so he wanted to believe…had to believe, otherwise all this waiting was for nothing.
‘Blame Michelle,’ he shrugged. He’d have to increase his sister’s pocket-money.
Michelle had insisted he wear stonewashed jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below the elbow. He’d asked her, ‘Why wear a shirt if you’re going to do that?’ But she’d mumbled something about strong forearms saying, ‘It’s a woman’s thing — just do it.’ Then she’d kissed him on the cheek and said, ‘Go get her, tiger.’ Calum didn’t care what he wore as long as it worked. ‘Sounds like you approve,’ he said, and kicked himself because he didn’t sound confident, and normally he was.
‘Approve? No — I mean yes, you look very…Oh never mind. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting…’
‘You seem a little prickly?’ Fuck…easy tiger.
‘I am not! I thought I’d timed it exactly so that I wouldn’t have to see…’ She shook her head. ‘Oh crap, I sound ungrateful, and I’m not — truly. Sofie told me how hard you’ve worked. It can’t have been easy for you via Skype and emails.’
‘Knowing it was for you made it the most satisfying job I’ve ever done.’ Had he said the wrong thing? She looked stunned. Quickly he headed down the stairs, his sneakers squeaking on the wooden treads. He stopped one tread above her, and without thinking, brought his hand up to cup her face, his thumb sliding across her cheek. Her eyes rounded, he leant closer, studying the sparkle and deep emotions at play: nervous anticipation, and hope. She wanted him, and seeing it made him shake inside. He needed to get a grip, slow things down or he’d rush, and neither would have time to savour the moment, make it special. He softened his gaze, and with superhuman effort withdrew his hand; voice husky, he said, ‘I’ll take those,’ and grabbed her suitcases.
‘W-wait a sec, please show me what you’ve done…for me.’
‘Sure,’ he said on a breath and hoped with every fibre in him that she liked the result. The cases thudded to the floor as he quickly dropped them. ‘Hold my hand and close your eyes.’
Her soft palm rested comfortably in his strong hand. Slowly, Jennifer closed her eyes. Without thinking, Calum brought her hand up to his chest and turned to face her; he yearned to kiss each soft eyelid.
‘We’re not moving,’ Jennifer murmured.
‘Sorry, you distracted me,’ he said with a smile, and led her down the hall. ‘Okay, you can open them now.’
Jennifer gasped in awe. Calum grin
ned.
‘Oh-my-God — fireplaces. Never in my wildest dreams. You never mentioned fireplaces.’
‘We wanted to surprise you.’
Her hand slipped out of his as she made her way to look at them more closely. ‘Well, you certainly have. They’re gorgeous.’
‘When we pulled the plaster off the columns on either side of the shop, there they were: two original, black marble fireplaces. Sofie chose the colours — they look okay?’
‘Colour changes when sent via email. But I knew there was nothing to worry about with Sofie choosing the palette. And I was right. The deep red looks stunning and the matching velvet drapes are perfect.’
‘We’ve made sure the shop and house upstairs has plenty of security. You’ll never need it.’ No, because he intended to be here, every night, with Jennifer for the rest of his life. His body itched to take her, make her his. ‘Because the drapes are so high up, you’ve got a remote control that slides them back and forth. There’s an intercom from upstairs to the restaurant’s kitchen. And a list of all the gadgetry and how they work in Bob’s office.’
Taking her time, Jennifer scanned the room. ‘How did you get the mosaic floor to come up so beautifully?’
‘Sofie and I had a restorer look at the floor. The tiles are stone and his advice was to polish the grime off and reseal them. That way the floors would be good for another hundred years or more.’
‘It’s magnificent.’ She wiped at her wet cheeks. ‘You must have worked like a madman to get so much done.’ She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
His hand went to her waist and he couldn’t stop himself from flexing his fingers. When she stepped back, he almost followed.
She gazed at him, eyes large and greener than he’d ever seen them. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
‘You’re welcome,’ his voice rumbled deep with emotion and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. ‘Go explore.’
Calum leant back against Bob’s refurbished curved glass and brass-framed display case. Enjoying the sway of Jennifer’s hips as she rounded a table setting, as her fingers slid over chairs and down drapes, and her breasts that rose and fell as she marvelled at her new surroundings.
‘This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The photos Sofie sent of the tables and padded chairs didn’t do them justice. It’s all gorgeous and brilliant! I’m dying to see the kitchen.’
‘This way, and tell me if you need anything changed.’ He held the swinging doors open for her.
‘Wow, it’s a chef’s dream! It’s my dream. The steampunk cappuccino machine is brilliant, I love it. I love it all.’ She laughed softly. ‘I can’t wait to turn on the gas burners and create something. You’ll be the first to have a meal out of this kitchen.’
‘You’re on,’ he said. He could hardly believe his luck. ‘I’ll get the courtyard sorted before Sofie gets here.’
‘She can’t wait to start on the garden.’ Jennifer ran her hands over sparkling new appliances. She turned to face him, a tender look in her eyes.
Damn, he itched to reach out, hold her and kiss her soft mouth, carry her upstairs and throw her on the bed covered in flowers, strip her naked and… But he didn’t dare, not yet. He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. After a long pause, she stepped closer. Her expression changed from one moment to the next — grateful, happy, awestruck, and a few others he couldn’t fathom.
‘I’m so happy I decided to start a restaurant here. And you made it all so easy.’
‘I’m glad to have been part of it,’ he said. Jeez, is that all he could come up with. Tell her you couldn’t eat for weeks. Tell her you went to the mountains to scream. Tell her your dick doesn’t work anymore unless she’s around. Tell her it’s a package deal that you come with the kitchen. ‘C’mon,’ he managed to say. ‘I’ll take your bags up.’
Calum grabbed two cases while Jennifer grappled with the smaller one, plus her handbag the size of a small hippo.
‘Same room?’ he asked.
‘Yes, please.’
He could feel Jennifer behind him. Her heat stole up his back and around into his chest. As long as it stayed there and didn’t burn a trail south, he’d be safe. He placed her suitcases at the end of the bed.
‘Are there any more bags outside?’ He was out of breath, and it had nothing to do with the cases.
‘No, that’s it. The rest is coming by crate on a container ship.’
‘This is it, you’re staying for good?’
‘I’ve just spent thousands transforming this place; I intend to stay — forever.’
He nodded. ‘Nice idea, and a bit longer than last time.’ Ouch! Fuck. He could’ve kicked himself, again.
‘It’s not an idea.’
‘Uh huh.’ Calum studied her eyes. They were steadfast.
‘I’m staying,’ she said emphatically.
He shoved his hands in the back pocket of his jeans. Otherwise, he might lose the bet with himself that he’d play it cool.
‘I’ve seen countless city people come and go in this town. Few can hack it long-term; they miss the city and all it has to offer.’ Calum moved in closer, leaving only inches between them. The impulse to throw her onto the bed and kiss her senseless until they both got hot, naked and sweaty was overwhelming.
Jennifer’s wide green eyes spoke volumes; right now he didn’t know what they were saying. It could be that his one-track mind assumed she wanted what he wanted. On the phone to her in London, he’d said that he’d never sleep in without her…never, but she hadn’t parted with enough of her feelings for him to go and throw himself at her. Calum leant in slightly, on the verge of kissing her. She gave a little gasp. The air between them hummed hot with promises.
He zeroed in on her mouth. She closed her eyes, or was that a slow blink? Mate, what’re you doing? He hesitated and drew back. Did he see disappointment? Last time he kissed her and made love to her, she’d left the country. Better slow this down. Rushing her wasn’t the way to go.
‘Are you hungry?’ he asked. Her wide-eyed look could have meant anything, but Calum decided it meant yes — safer that way. ‘Thought as much.’ He took her hand and led her to Bob’s kitchen. ‘Sit,’ he said, pointing to a chair. He made coffee and brought out a plate of massive, wholemeal sandwiches from the fridge. The crusts were crunchy and almost an inch thick.
‘Good God, are those for me?’
He chuckled. ‘It’s okay, just eat what you want.’
‘Did you make them yourself?’
‘Yeah, straight after I crutched four hundred sheep.’
‘Oh lovely, a little extra flavour for that country taste,’ she threw back dryly.
Calum winked and moved the plate closer to her. He poured steaming coffee into two large mugs and sat opposite Jennifer, who was squishing the sandwich down with the palm of her hand.
She turned to him with a help me look on her face. ‘I can’t get my mouth around it.’
Don’t even go there, pal. ‘Sure you can,’ he said, and couldn’t stop the grin.
Jennifer managed to bite off a hunk and chewed, closing her eyes. ‘This is delicious,’ she mumbled through a mouthful. ‘The silverside is cooked to perfection, and the pickle…Hmm!’
‘Gran’s homemade pickles. Don’t ask me what’s in it.’
‘Do you think she’d give me her recipe?’
‘As long as you didn’t enter it into any of the local fairs, she probably would. If you’re not too tired after this, I need to show you something else.’
‘I’m fine. I had a lovely week’s rest in Sydney with Sofie and Claudia. Got rid of all my jetlag.’ She inclined her head. ‘What do you want to show me?’
‘Hard to explain, easier if I show you.’
‘It wouldn’t have anything to do with the singing drunk, would it?’
‘ ’Fraid not…’ He trailed off as a vague thought occurred to him, something about Parrot Rock, but in a flash it was gone. ‘Hmm, strange.’
&
nbsp; ‘What’s strange?’
‘I don’t know, it’s one of those things you can’t quite get a handle on. Doesn’t matter. If it’s important it’ll come back to me.’
She washed her sandwich down with the swig of coffee. Calum went back to the fridge and came out with two small bowls of lemon sorbet.
Handing her a spoon, he said, ‘Gran insisted. She made so much of it yesterday that everyone she cares about is getting a helping.’
‘Oh,’ she breathed. Looking a mite stunned, she took a spoonful. ‘Hmm…this is delicious, so refreshing. Your gran knows a thing or two. But then, most people of that era do…my gran could turn her hand to just about anything.’
She licked her lips and Calum couldn’t help a throaty rumble from escaping. ‘That good, huh?’ He smiled as, sadly, Jennifer’s tongue popped back into her mouth. ‘Come on,’ he took her spoon and laid it on the table. ‘You can lick the bowl out later. I want to show you what’s been bothering me about your uncle’s rooms.’ He ushered Jennifer down the hall and into the pink bedroom. He could feel her body heat as she stood next to him gazing at the roses and swirling vine wallpaper that even his grandmother would reject — maybe.
‘Okay, here we are. What am I supposed to see?’ Jennifer wrinkled her nose and squinted. ‘Have to change that God-awful wallpaper.’
‘I know it’s hard, but forget the paper. There’s something odd about this room, and the bathroom. Come with me.’ He led her into the en suite. ‘See this corner here?’ He pointed to the right of the door.
‘Oh lord!’ Jennifer ignored him, and eyes wide, took in the luxurious new bathroom. ‘The old claw foot bath looks brand new. My God, the shower.’ She spread her arms out wide and hugged the curved glass door. ‘Six people could fit in here.’
‘Not with you they won’t.’ He gave her a look. When he saw her slightly stunned expression, he couldn’t help but smile. Oh well, he thought, I don’t care, you’re mine.
‘Um…well, of course not.’ And she let go of the door.
‘Okay, Jen. We’ll get to know the shower later.’ Pink flushed her cheeks. Part of him felt good that he had this effect on her, another part told him he should stop making her feel uncomfortable, but man, she was making it difficult. His eyes slowly drifted down to her open mouth.
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